Ryan Mark a likely Pick6 anchor
With $ 300k up for grabs at Hastings punters can go short in a couple and then good luck; you will need it
For a share of a guaranteed $ 300,000 Pick6 at Hastings today it might look reckless to anchor a couple of races.
But in balance, it might be the safest approach. There are at least t wo races that look potential onehorse races and a couple of others that look anything but.
The pool will probably rise above the $ 300,000 guarantee, so a smaller percentage will be ideal if you can jag a decent priced runner in the races you need to go wide in. First leg: Francaletta ( No 6, R4) is the warm favourite for the Baker/ Forsman stable and no surprise after her dynamic debut win at Matamata.
However, it may not pay to anchor her. Miss Silverback ( No 7) covered a huge amount of extra ground around the home bend when winning at Taupo last start.
O'Reilly's Choice ( No 10) has a wide barrier to contend with and finished only fifth last start, but that was behind Ugo Foscolo and Hall Of Fame, a much stronger line- up than this.
He took a couple of lengths off both those horses in the final 300m. Impulsive Habit ( No 15) is one more chance if extra cover is desirable. Second leg: Ryan Mark ( No 1, R5) is one you could anchor. He went to Ruakaka in the Valley Girl/ Hasselhoof race and looked huge in condition and raced that way.
He will be a lot fitter for a race that i s significantly easier and the 3kg Timothy Johnson takes off him brings him down to a manageable 57kg. His Hastings record is four starts for two wins and two placings.
For those not wanting an anchor, Silver Eclipse ( No 4) and Eletist ( No 5) look good savers, with perhaps an outside chance given to Ginner Hart ( No 3), who has a good record at this meeting and looks well placed at the weights with Sam Weatherley’s claim. Third leg: This is definitely not a race to anchor, a mixture of experience and potentially enormous emerging talent that could get into the frame late here.
If you want to take a narrow Pick6, Sassy ' N' Smart ( No 6) is probably your choice. She was knocked out of contention in the Diamond Stakes last autumn then could not manage the wet track at Manawatu.
Worth remembering is that stable jockey Matt Cameron chose to ride Sassy ' N' Smart ahead of Heroic Valour who won the Diamond.
Bella Gioia ( No 4) has to overcome a wide gate, but will have fitness on her side if she does. Mystery Show ( No 5) is under- rated and Volpe Veloce ( No 2), Gold Rush ( No 3) and Honey Rider ( No 7) are musts if you want a spread. Fourth leg: Humidor ( No 11, R7) is a potential anchor. He is the veteran of only seven races, but looks a stayer of enormous potential.
He is jumping from R75 to open company, which is never easy, but he drops from 58.5kg to 53kg. That i s easy. Not a lot among the rest of the opposition, but forced to sort out one, you'd probably go for Savaria ( No 7). Fifth leg: It will be a surprise if Kawi ( No 1, R8) is beaten in the Windsor Park Plate. It will certainly be that to the punter who plunged $ 40,000 on Kawi at $ 1.90 at the Te Rapa TAB yesterday.
Kawi is such a dominant favourite — so far of the $ 63,000 bet on the race, $ 60,000 is on Kawi. If there is a danger and bad luck i s a constant danger in any race, it's Rasa Lila ( No 7), who will be ridden by visiting Sydney hoop Jason Collett. Sixth leg: This is a race you have to go WIDE in.
You need Get That Jive ( No 3, R9), Kolonel Kev ( No 4), Lady Zafira ( No 7), Mae West ( No 8), Darci Mac ( No 11), Shadows Cast ( No 13), Promise To Reign ( No 14) and Galaxy Miss ( No 15). And a LOT of luck.
Volpe Veloce – Hastings ( R6). ( Stephenstihls – 2nd). Impulsive Habit – Hastings ( R4). ( Juliette – 4th). Three codes, 40 years and millions of words. Dave McDonald's efforts in commentary boxes around the lower South Island will be recognised at Ascot Park today by a gathering of commentators marking his 40 years in the industry. McDonald, 62, began his calling career at Ascot Park some time in late 1976. He had enjoyed driving horses in work, but he was tipped out of a sulky as a youngster which “cured me of that”. “You don't get tipped out in the commentary box.” McDonald is unsure how long he will go on for. “As long as I've still got my brain and my eyesight, I'm OK. If either one of those two go, I'm out.” The Cox Plate has lost one of its international contenders with Godolphin changing plans for Tryster. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Tryster’s international goals are more likely to be in Japan or Hong Kong later this year. French horse Vadamos is still in the Cox Plate mix, while Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has put several horses in quarantine but has not yet decided which ones will come to Australia. Unbeaten colt Heroic Valour has taken his successful resuming run at Ruakaka in his stride. “We’re thrilled with the way he’s come through the race, he pulled up very well,” said cotrainer Jamie Richards. Heroic Valour accounted for a competitive line- up in the Northland Breeders’ Stakes in his first 3- year- old outing. “He’s taken enormous benefit from the run and we’re looking forward to the Hawke’s Bay Guineas,” Richards said. Heroic Valour will then have one more run, the venue yet to be decided, before the Sothys NZ 2000 Guineas. The group one hopes of Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott got a boost at Te Rapa this week. The Matamata trainers won races on Wednesday with their 2000 Guineas contenders Cha Siu Bao and Sweet Leader, who both beat older opposition. “Cha Siu Bao’s a longstriding horse who can go further,” Scott said. “He will take a lot of confidence and improvement from the run.” Sweet Leader was coming off the back of a smart maiden win at Taupo when he ran his Rating 65 rivals into the deck. “It wasn’t the plan to lead, but the others left the gate open for him,” Scott said. The catalogue for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale of Two- Year- Olds is now available online and on the free iPad application with catalogues to be mailed early next week. This year’s catalogue has attracted 552 2- year- olds, with 123 sires represented. The Ready to Run Sale will be held on November 16 and 17 beginning at 10am each day. Last season’s New Zealand Derby runner- up What’s The Story will be on a long, slow road to recovery. The Savabeel 4- year- old, who has won two of his nine starts, suffered a tendon injury when he finished fifth at Ruakaka. Trained by Stephen McKee and Eddie Chippendale, What’s The Story’s owners have opted to pursue stem cell treatment for the injury. Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman have another live classic hope across the Tasman after Eleonora made a winning debut on the synthetic track at Geelong yesterday. The Makfi filly, who was sent out a commanding favourite, crushed her maiden rivals over 1300m in the hands of Damien Oliver. “For her to come out and win today is a good sign,” he said. Raced by Dame Lowell Goddard and Lib Petagna, she has now been installed the third favourite for the VRC Oaks at Flemington on November 3. A bright future has been tipped for the Taupo debut winner Sleeping Beauty. The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott- trained 4- year- old made the perfect start to her career on Friday with a clear- cut success over 1000m. “She’s got a really good turn of foot,” Scott said. “Being by Rip Van Winkle she has taken a wee while, but that was really encouraging and she’ll get through a few more grades yet.”